Francis Hopkinson Flag (1777) - 13 red and white stripes with blue canton bearing 13 six-pointed stars in a circle. There is a controversy over this design; arguments for the stars in a circle versus in rows of 3-2-3-2-3 are strong on
both sides of the question. Truth is we just don't know.Dave Martucci, 17 October 1999

Fact: Francis Hopkinson was the only individual to actually claim the credit for the design of the U.S. flag at the time. He billed Congress for "a quarter cask of the public wine" for his efforts. Congress did not outright deny his claim but sat on it for years. Only after Hopkinson rebilled his claim in cash, *along with other claims for other emblems*, did Congress act on it, denying it on the grounds that Hopkinson was not the only person who had a hand in designing the flag
*and other emblems.*Dave Martucci, 8 January 1998